Write a press release that gets results!
By Linda Segall

Are press releases an easy way to publicize your practice? The answer is a resounding "maybe."

At Chiropractic Economics, we receive dozens of news releases each day. Only a few make it to publication. The ones we delete from our e-mail boxes are those that:

• Have no relevance to our readers,
• Self-promote,
• Are poorly written, or
• Are old news.

Newspaper editors toss press releases they receive for the same reasons. Editors of papers in many smaller and mid-sized communities seek material to fill their pages. When they receive press releases that are truly newsworthy and are well written, they use them.

NEWSWORTHINESS

To be considered news, an article must be timely. (Events that happened days or weeks ago are not news; they are old information.) And they must be of interest to readers. What is important to you may not be of interest to newspaper readers — unless it is framed correctly.

Here are two ways to make an event — earning a diplomate in sports medicine — newsworthy and appealing to an editor:

• Give helpful information. Editors know their readers like helpful information — that is, information they can use.

A press release that reports you just earned a diplomate in sports medicine is of limited interest to the general public. But, a press release that gives readers tips on recovering from an athletic injury through chiropractic treatment is of interest. And, coincidentally, the press release also informs readers about your credentials as a sports-medicine chiropractor.

For example: A press release could begin:

Crisp weather and falling leaves signal the start of flag football leagues. But strains and sprains from overzealous competitors could put an early end to your weekend-warrior athletics, unless you treat your injuries fast, says Dr. John Doe, a chiropractor who specializes in sports medicine.

• Link your 'news' to a current event. Editors also look for material that can supplement or help explain an item that has captured headlines.

For example: When Tiger Woods won the Masters Tournament, a press release from you could have begun:

"You may never hit a golf ball as far as Masters Champ Tiger Woods, but you can improve your distance by making a broader turn," says Dr. John Doe, a local sports-medicine chiropractor. "Proper stretching before starting a round of golf helps loosen muscles and allows you to turn more fully," continues Doe, who offers a golf assessment as a service to his chiropractic patients.

Doe recommends doing three stretching exercises before stepping up to the first tee É

HEADLINES

Editors like to write their own headlines. But that does not absolve you from writing a catchy headline for your press release.

The headline's purpose is to capture interest and make the person read further. The best headlines suggest a benefit to the reader. Consider these:

• Suffering from Flag-Football Injuries? Use These 3 Tips to Recover Faster
• Will You be the Next Tiger Woods? Pre-Game Stretching Improves Your Golf Score

LANGUAGE

When you write a press release, it's necessary to watch your language. That is, do not use words or phrases the editor and the public may not understand.

• Find a simpler way to say 'subluxation.' Unfortunately, unless the person reading the press release is already a chiropractic patient, he or she will not understand the term "subluxation." If you want to refer to subluxation in your article, find ordinary words to describe the condition.

• Define your specialty. You are rightfully proud of your advanced training, but readers do not know what the list of letters after your name stands for. Help them out. Tell them in your press release that you are a chiropractor who specializes in (or has had advanced education in) sports medicine, nutrition, or pediatrics.

• Think like a non-user. At the end of your press release, provide readers with information about your practice. But tell readers about it in terms they can understand and relate to. Remember: Non-users are the ones you want to attract to your practice and educate about chiropractic. And these non-users do not know one technique (such as Gonstead, Cox, or Activator) from another.

Decide what is important for non-user, potential patients to know about your practice — what is important to them — and tell them about it in non-technical terms.

Will using these tips guarantee that an editor will publish your press release? Unfortunately, no. Many things influence an editor's decision about what to publish — including if it is a slow news day. But, you increase your odds of being published by taking the time to write a really good release and by submitting news releases frequently.

SIDEBARS:
More tips to write a good press release
Where can you submit?

Linda Segall is editor-in-chief of Chiropractic Economics. She can be contacted at lsegall@chiroeco.com.